Illusion Spells
No matter how realistic they are, illusions cannot cause permanent harm. They can cause distractions, loss of balance or orientation, and even symptoms like nausea or pain. All such effects vanish as soon as the caster drops the illusion. Illusions can certainly cause harm by manipulating the senses so a victim walks into traffic or off a high building, for example, but they cannot directly cause damage. Obvious illusions are used solely for entertainment and cannot fool subjects into believing they are real. Single-sense illusions affect only one sense. Full sensory illusions affect all senses. Although mana illusions can appear on the astral plane, their magical auras give them away as illusions to anyone who makes a successful Assensing Test (see Astral Perception, p. 171). Illusions do not disguise or create auras. Mana-based illusion spells affect the mind and are ineffective against technological viewing systems like cameras. Physical illusion spells create actual sensory input and are effective against such systems. If the observer generates equal or more successes in a Resistance Test, then the observer determines that the illusion is not real. If the spell is not completely resisted, the character is fully affected by the illusion. Illusion spells can affect any target or area within the caster’s line of sight. DIRECTED ILLUSION SPELLS Directed illusion spells are cast at a target and affect his mind or senses. Others are not affected unless the spell is cast at them as well (or they are in the area of effect). Directed illusions only affect those within the caster’s line of sight. Mana illusions are resisted by Willpower, while physical illusions are resisted by Intelligence. Confusion Type: Mana • Target: Willpower • Duration: Sustained • Drain: (Force/2) This spells produce a storm of conflicting sensations and images to confuse the senses. For each success on the Sorcery Test, the subject suffers +1 on all target numbers from the distraction, up to a maximum equal to the Force of the spell. Confusion affects a single target. Mass Mass Confusion Type: Mana • Target: Willpower • Duration: Sustained • Drain: (Force/2) +1 Mass Confusion works like Confusion, except it is an area spell. Chaos Type: Physical • Target: Intelligence • Duration: Sustained • Drain: (Force/2) +1 The Chaos spell is a physical version of Confusion (above), it also affects technological systems and sensing devices. Chaos is a single target spell. Chaotic World Type: Physical • Target: Intelligence • Duration: Sustained • Drain: (Force/2) +1 Chaotic World functions like Chaos, except it is an area spell. Entertainment Type: Mana • Target: Willpower • Duration: Sustained • Drain: (Force/2) This area spells requires voluntary targets. It creates obvious, but entertaining, visual illusions. The successes measure how entertaining the audience finds the illusion. The caster can re-create an image of anything with a successful Sorcery Test. The gamemaster might require additional successes for exact details. Entertainment affects the minds of the subjects and cannot be detected by non-living sensors. This spell can used for amusement as well as art. The entertainment industry uses illusionists as literal “special effects wizards.” Magical designers and artists work to create new and interesting sensations, including sensations that can’t otherwise be experienced in the real world. Only the wealthy can afford the unique experiences offered by such spellcasters. Trid Entertainment Type: Physical • Target: Intelligence • Duration: Sustained • Drain: (Force/2) +1 Trid Entertainment functions like Entertainment, except it can be perceived by both living subjects and technological sensors. INDIRECT ILLUSION SPELLS Indirect illusion spells manipulate energy to create an illusionary image or sound or other sense-based effect, fooling the senses. They must be cast “around” a person, or over an area (Magic rating in meters) that is within the caster’s line of sight. All indirect illusions are resisted by Intelligence. Invisibility Type: Mana • Target: 4 • Duration: Sustained • Drain: (Force/2) This spell makes the subject invisible to normal vision. The subject is completely tangible and detectable by the other senses. Their aura is still visible to astral perception. Attacks against invisible targets suffer the Blind Fire modifier if the attacker is unable to see or otherwise sense the target of the spell. Invisibility affects the minds of viewers. Improved Invisibility Type: Physical • Target: 4 • Duration: Sustained • Drain: (Force/2) Improved Invisibility functions like Invisibility, except it affects technological sensors as well. Mask Type: Mana • Target: 4 • Duration: Sustained • Drain: (Force/2) The mask spell alters the target’s voice, scent and other physical characteristics. The target assumes a physical appearance (of the same basic size and shape), chosen by the caster. Observers can make a Resistance Test to attempt to overcome the illusion. Mask affects the minds of viewers. Physical Mask Type: Physcial • Target: 4 • Duration: S • Drain: (Force/2) +1 Physical Mask functions like Mask, except it affects technological sensors as well. Phantasm Type: Mana • Target: 4 • Duration: Sustained • Drain: (Force/2) These area spells create convincing visual illusions of any object or creature the caster desires. They can create an illusion of anything the caster has seen before, from a flower or a credstick to a dragon breathing fire, so long as the illusion is no larger than the spell’s area. The illusion appears real unless the observer is able to make a successful Resistance Test to penetrate the illusion. Phantasm can only be detected by living beings. Trid Phantasm Type: Physical • Target: 4 • Duration: Sustained • Drain: (Force/2) +1 Trid Phantasm functions like Phantasm, except it affects technological sensors as well. Silence Type: Physical • Target: 4 • Duration: Sustained • Drain: (Force/2) +1 Silence creates an area that dampens sound. Because it is a physical spell, Silence affects technological devices and is useful for jamming alarms, detection devices, sonar and tactical communications. Sonic attacks into or out of the field are reduced in Power by the Force of the spell. All Hearing Perception Test target numbers within or across the field are increased by +1 per success on the Sorcery Test, up to a maximum equal to the Force of the spell. Stealth Type: Physical • Target: 4 •''' Duration:' Sustained • '''Drain:' (Force/2) +1 Stealth is cast on a target who becomes inaudible to normal hearing. The subject can move in complete silence and nothing they do makes noise. Things not being touched by the subject can still make noise, so a character under a stealth spell would make no noise knocking on a door, but the door would make noise hitting the floor or wall if it was kicked in.